THE finance industry has emerged unscathed from Fallagate. GuernseyFinance chief executive Peter Niven said that fears that the island’s reputation would be damaged and worries about an impression of political instability had proved unfounded.
‘Certain people thought that Fallagate would be damaging to our international reputation,’ said Mr Niven at an Institute of Directors lunch.
‘Actually the most important thing that I have to take away when I am promoting Guernsey is that most people don’t know who we are and don’t know where we are. To believe that we are on everyone’s lips in the big wide world is naive in the extreme.
‘I gain comfort from the fact that we have got issues here, quite rightly aired, but largely internationally they don’t feature on the radar.’
Mr Niven said that business people who travelled to the island tended to talk about fog delays rather than politics.
‘It all becomes a light-hearted story and helps our case. It’s almost a little bit quirky and we can play on that.’
Fallagate, which rumbled on for more than four months, claimed three political victims, including Laurie Morgan, who resigned as chief minister.
The Policy Council was accused of bungling discussions over the affair which resulted in R. G. Falla withdrawing its tender for the hospital clinical block.
Article posted on 26th May, 2007 - 12.00am
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